My goal in this thesis is twofold. First I want to understand the impact the Internet can have on democracy, that is to say, I want to understand what this technology changes to democracy. In order to do this, it is necessary to possess a clear and precise conceptual framework of the meaning of democracy and to ground my analysis in empirical literature. Second, I want to give a normative account of what needs to be done to ensure that the impact of the Internet on democracy will stay positive.
To accomplish these goals, one first needs to have a clear conception of democracy. That is why I will offer, in the first part of my thesis, an understanding of democracy as political autonomy. I will offer an analysis of this last concept in my first chapter. I will then analyze two of its central elements, namely privacy and public space. In the second part of my thesis, I will offer an analysis that is both precise and empirically grounded of the impact of the internet on these two elements, in order to present an argument that will not simply be a priori and speculative.
It is important to notice that the conclusions that I reach are only of value if the Internet doesn't evolve. It is therefore quite possible that the internet ceases to allow for greater political autonomy as I explain in my second part. It is thus important to carry out the normative part of my project to identify to what extent it might be necessary to do something to ensure the positive impact of the Internet on political autonomy. So, in the last part of my thesis, I show that it is necessary to protect the non-discriminatory Internet architecture, but that it is not necessary to protect its generative ecosystem. I will conclude by showing the importance of providing all the elements of a digital literacy, if we want that all benefit from the opportunities offered by the Internet.